


Placebo Effect

by The Librarina (tears_of_nienna)



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: (sort of), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2014-08-28
Packaged: 2018-02-15 03:00:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2213238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tears_of_nienna/pseuds/The%20Librarina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Enjolras brings mixers to Courfeyrac's party. Disaster ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Placebo Effect

**Author's Note:**

> I found an entire wall of [these](http://thelibrarina.tumblr.com/post/95947580205/ok-guys-these-aus-have-gone-too-far) at the store and I just couldn't help myself.

When somebody decides to throw a party, everybody contributes. The one hosting the party obviously contributes the venue, so they divide the rest of the supplies among them. Several people bring snacks, somebody sets up the music, and at least two people are designated for cleanup duty. Jehan supplies whatever mildly illicit substances are requested, and Grantaire gets the alcohol wholesale from an extremely shady bartender in a run-down basement bar downtown.

Enjolras, having been banned from contributing any home-made snacks after a small kitchen fire last semester, brings mixers. “It’s safest,” Courfeyrac had said, cheerfully enough that his lack of faith only stung a little.

When Enjolras gets there, it’s already noisy and overwarm in the apartment; it’s only a matter of time before someone gets the idea to open the windows, even though it’s February and they’ll all regret that decision immediately. Enjolras unloads a couple of twelve-packs of soda, and then steps out of the way while everyone makes a rush for the drinks table.

When the crush dies down, he mixes himself a rum and Coke in one of the pretentious cut-crystal glasses that Courfeyrac had lifted from his parents’ place when he moved out. He’s wondering what to do with the rest of the can when Grantaire walks up to the table next to him. He considers the array of alcohol for a long while—why, Enjolras has no idea, since he brought it all anyway. Finally, Grantaire lifts a bottle of Jack Daniel’s from the row and eyes Enjolras’ half-empty Coke.

"Are you going to drink the rest of that?"

"Are you actually going to  _mix_  your drinks tonight?” It comes out all wrong, sharp where he means to be light, disapproving when he’d just meant to tease him a little.

But Grantaire just grins. “The night is still young.”

"Well, it’s all yours." He slides the can down the table, and Grantaire mixes himself a drink that’s considerably more Jack than Coke.

He turns towards Enjolras and holds up his glass. “Cheers, then,” he says.

Enjolras taps his glass against Grantaire’s, and they each take a sip.

The floor drops out from beneath him. He reels back a step, staring at Grantaire. The sudden flood of emotions is overwhelming, threatening to drown him unless he can find something, anything to anchor him—

Grantaire catches Enjolras’ hand in his own. He looks just as stricken, just as wild, and Enjolras wants to bury his fingers in that dark tangle of curls and  _never let go_.

He takes a step towards Grantaire, almost involuntarily. A little bit of Coke sloshes over the rim of his glass, and Enjolras puts it down. He lifts his hand to lick a spilled drop off of his knuckles.

Grantaire makes an obscene noise and kisses him. Enjolras immediately tangles both of his hands in Grantaire’s hair and finds that it’s even nicer than he’d expected, soft and springy beneath his fingertips. Grantaire’s mouth is warm and sweet, and one of his hands is sliding beneath the hem of Enjolras’ t-shirt at his hip.

They pull back at the same time. There’s a different song playing, and Enjolras doesn’t have any idea how long they’ve been standing here. He feels like he does at the end of a run, breathless and shaky and soaring.

"What—what was in the rum?" he gasps.

"Nothing! And it’s not just  _you_ , it’s…what was in the Coke?”

"It’s just  _Coke_. Why would there be anything…”

They look down at the can.

_Share a Coke with your soulmate_ , it says.

"You don’t think…" Enjolras begins.

Grantaire groans and covers his face with one hand. “Oh my god. Oh my god, I am so sorry, I had no idea. I didn’t mean to trick you into—”

"Neither did I!"

"Trick me into loving you? Yeah, like  _that_  would be difficult.”

Enjolras stares at him.

Grantaire curls in on himself, looking miserable despite the bitten red of his lips. “Come on, you had to know. There’s no  _way_  you couldn’t have known.  _Everyone_  knows. I’m a hopeless case, have been for like three years now—”

Enjolras kisses him again. Three years is a lot of time to make up, and they can start against the nearest horizontal surface. Or vertical surface, he’s not picky—

"Wait a minute," Grantaire says, pulling back. He leaves one hand on Enjolras’ hip, fingers hooked into his belt-loop.

"Wait for what?"

"The Cokes," Grantaire says absurdly.

"Seriously? Who cares about the Cokes anymore?"

"No, this is important.  _How many of the Cokes say that_?”

Enjolras isn’t sure; he’s noticed the advertising campaign, but only vaguely. Soda is not an efficient conveyance of caffeine into his system, so he doesn’t drink much of it. “I think…all of them?”

"Oh my god. Look."

Enjolras looks around the room. Joly and Bossuet and Musichetta are dancing in a way that makes it difficult to distinguish which limbs belong to which person. Bahorel and Feuilly are wrestling over control of the music, which isn’t anything out of the ordinary, and Combeferre and Courfeyrac are just  _smiling_ at each other, like they’ve known all along.

Grantaire turns to him, wide-eyed. “Enjolras,” he whispers. “What have you  _done_?”

**Author's Note:**

> The only soulmate AU I will contribute to this fandom, and it isn't even really a soulmate AU. (See title because I'm a pretentious little shit like that.)
> 
> I have [a tumblr](http://thelibrarina.tumblr.com)! Come say hi!


End file.
